Can IVF Bring On Early Menopause?

Earlier this month in a now-deleted trailer for The Kardashians’ upcoming Hulu show, Kourtney Kardashian was seen telling her mother Kris that IVF medication had put her into menopause.

We don’t know the ins and outs of the reality star’s medical history and IVF treatments, so it’s difficult for us to know what she’s going through and her symptoms— and we would never want to take away from any woman’s fertility experience or IVF journey.

What we do know is that if you are going through or considering IVF, the idea that it might trigger menopause and therefore cause more difficulty to conceive is alarming. Is it possible for IVF procedures to trigger menopause? And what are the other risks associated with IVF? Let’s talk about it.

Do women who have IVF go through menopause earlier? 

It’s a common misconception that women who undergo the IVF procedure will experience menopause earlier than expected because of the belief that their eggs have been removed from their body. In actuality, the IVF procedure and hormones used during the treatments work to mature the eggs for certain menstrual cycles more quickly, but they do not remove more the one cycle's worth of eggs. 

There is no evidence that IVF can trigger menopause, but the hormones used during the process can bring on symptoms that are similar to those seen in perimenopause and menopause, which could be the root of some confusion and misunderstanding.

These overlapping symptoms include: 

• Bloating 

• Mood swings

• Brain fog 

• Weight gain 

• Hot flashes 

• Headaches 

• Missed periods or spotting

What are the risks associated with IVF treatment?

Whilst the onset of menopause isn’t something you should be worrying about during IVF treatment, there are some other potential risks you might want to consider:

1. Multiple births: IVF increases the chance of having multiple babies because more than one embryo will be transferred to your uterus. If you are carrying multiples, then there is a higher risk of early labor and low birth weights.

2. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: When this happens, your ovaries become swollen and painful. It can be brought on by the use of fertility drugs that induce ovulation during the IVF process. Symptoms typically last a week and include mild abdominal pain, bloating, nausea vomiting, and diarrhea. 

3. Egg-retrieval complications: The use of a needle to retrieve eggs could cause bleeding, infection, or damage to the bowel, bladder, or blood vessel. 

4. Stress: The IVF process can be physically, emotionally, and financially stressful. 

Do you have a question about IVF? Let us know in the comments and we’ll get back to you!

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